The Black Flag
by Sailor.Coldhart
Summary: CH 9 is up! Yes, a Barbossa fic. Why? Because he's one damn good looking pirate, that's why! What happens when a girl finds herself in a situation she never bargained for aboard the Black Pearl?
1. The Man & The Captain

**CHAPTER I:**

**THE MAN AND THE CAPTAIN**

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the POTC characters, though I wish I did._

_Story will continue based on reviews. Be honest, but don't flame. Rated M for now because I ain't sure just how trashy I wanna gets yet mmkay?_

* * *

The man sat down and smiled, "You look good." He commented, eying the pirate. "Bathing more often than the rest of your crew I take it?" His English accent was thick.

"An' what exactly is that suppose to mean?" The pirate replied, drawing out his words a bit longer than most would. Tilting his head in a cocky manner, he grinned slightly.

"Don't take it personally," The man folded his arms over his chest, "you've always looked better than the rest of your crew."

The two sat alone in the man's quarters. Lanterns and candles filled the room with a dull light, giving the wood of the table, and chairs they sat on a deep, reddish, tone. There was a lone wine bottle, and two glasses sat upon the table, the pirate's glass remaining untouched. Aside from the two men, these were the only things to occupy the room.

The pirate sat with his legs crossed upon the table, arms folded at his chest, no single emotion readable on his face. "Now Jacob, tell me what it is you've brought me here for, seems ye' be wastin' my time."

Jacob raised an eyebrow, "Do not underestimate how valuable my time is, Captain." He raised and walked to a window across the room. He stood for a moment, looking out the window, hands behind his back.

_'He's pondering,'_ The Captain thought. _'Gatherin' his thoughts 'n choosin' his words.'_

Jacob was a man in his early 30's, and while he was shorter, and built much smaller than the Captain, he possessed youthful looks no woman would refuse. He was so well groomed he seemed perfect, and unreal. He had light blonde hair, the color of the purest sand, and a complexion so fair it seemed as if he'd never seen a day's sunlight. The Captain hated it. He knew nothing about Jacob's background or life, nor did he care. In fact no one seemed to know anything about Jacob. He'd show up and disappear as fast as he came. No one knew where he came from, nor did they know where to find him.

Continuing to gaze out the window Jacob spoke, "If you were offered redemption Captain, would you take it?"

The Captain laughed at the question finally taking a sip of his wine, "And what makes ye' think I'm wroth redeemin' Mr. Connors?" He asked with a bit of a chuckle. "I highly doubt I'm to be freed of the consequences of my sins there Jacob. I don't think there's a redeemable bone left in me body." He began to laugh again. "Lot's of sinnin's been done here." He paused for a moment. "I am what I am Jacob," he took another sip of wine. "A pirate. Pirates aren't granted redemption."

Jacob slowly walked back to the table, his gaze fixed on the Captain. "Every man has redeemable qualities Captain. Redemption comes in many forms. Those in the deepest pits of hell are men who chose not to act upon those qualities, and ignored the call of being redeemed." He paused, studying the Captain's face, "They did not want to be redeemed Captain, keep that in mind."


	2. THE SAINT MARY

**CHAPTER II:**

**THE SAINT MARY**

* * *

It was a warm night under the cloud cover of the sea; a cooling breeze would stir up ever so often, offering relief from the warm weather for a few moments at a time. The air smelled of salt and rain, and felt heavy against the skin, due to the humidity. A storm was brewing, and had been for the past couple of days, yet rain had refused to show it's self. It was quiet tonight, the only sound to be heard was the sea herself, and even she seemed quiet.

Alanna leaned against the side of the ship, visibility was low against the fog, and as far as she could see, she was the only one on deck. She had had her fair share of sunshine, and hot weather. Now, rain was a welcome relief she had been wishing for. A slight wind blew, rocking the ship ever so slightly, causing the few lanterns that were still burning to sway as the ship creaked. She shivered… a storm indeed. Alanna was in her third month aboard the merchant ship _Saint Mary_. She had bartered her way onto the ship with a small amount of gold acquired in a game of cards, and an agreement to help with various tasks on board. They where en route, traveling the Caribbean seas to deliver various goods such as tobacco, spices, cloth, gunpowder, and food such as, wine, bread, cured meats, and cheeses, and mostly importantly, sliver and gold. Since the Ship had been over loaded for its voyage, it had been traveling a bit slower than usual, and was now almost a week behind schedule.

This was indeed seventeen year old Alanna Callaghan aboard the _Saint Mary_, but to the crew she was known as fifteen year old 'Pretty Boy' Carter Johnson.

Being a woman and passing yourself off as a young boy on ship was more common than one would think. Women pirates and runaways had been doing it for some time now, and in fact a much larger number of women worked on ships, but when unaccounted for as they where thought to be teenage boys. For Alanna however, this task required a little more work. She made a point to keep her face as dirty as possible, and her fiery red hair tucked beneath her old ratty hat, which covered as much of her face as possible at all times. Hiding her womanly features was the hardest part, but she managed by wrapping her chest tightly with bandages, and wearing the biggest, baggiest, clothes she possibly could.

She sighed at the thought of having to go below decks for sleep. Sharing what she considered a fairly small space for so many men seemed like it was becoming more difficult with every day that passed. It was nearly impossible to find a spot to be alone and tasks such as washing and changing clothes could only be done in dark corners while everyone else was sleeping. It was damp, and the smell was atrocious. Her walk was slow and dragging as she headed below decks. She flopped down in her hammock, hoping sleep would find her soon as she tried to block out the sound of the other men snoring. Her eyes felt heavy, and they began to close slowly. She smiled as her thoughts began to drift away. She was closer to rest than she thought, and it was only moments later that she entered a very peaceful and deep slumber.

The sounds were distorted at first. She was sure she had just fallen asleep, and was dreaming. Her eyes opened to a blurry vision. She could barely make out the figures moving in the darkness. They seemed to be frantic, and disorderly. Then she heard it, "PIRATES!"

_'Pirates?'_ she thought to herself feeling very confused. _'Impossible.'_ She shook her head rubbing her eyes, trying to wake herself. She could hear it now, gunfire, small explosions, and shouting seemed to surround her in every corner of the ship. Men were rushing towards her, past her, yelling, swords and guns drawn in their hands. Her steps were clumsy and uneven getting out of the hammock as she was still tired and disoriented.

"Get up and fight boy!" a crew member shouted at her, as he shoved a sword into her hand. "We need all the man power we can get, we're overwhelmed!"

He grabbed her by the back of her shirt, forcing her up to the decks in front of him. By the looks of it, the pirates had been there for some time. Teams of two to three men were carrying barrels of gunpowder, wine, tobacco, sliver and gold out of the cargo hold. For such a small merchant ship, the _Saint Mary_ was carrying a huge amount of goods. Alanna could only imagine what else they had already gotten their hands on. These pirates had hit a very easy target.

The scene above decks was absolute havoc. Looking around, Alanna could see that half the crew had already been killed. Blood ran every where, and bodies lay on the floor, some with gunshot wounds, others with swords and axes still stuck in their backs. Alanna had never seen so much death surround her. That's when she finally realized what was happening, the crew member didn't want her for the extra man power; there were too many pirates for it to matter. The ship was only run by 20 people including her; the number of pirates was at least triple. No, he didn't need extra man power, he need a shield.

"Let go!" She screamed, trying to free herself from his grip. His grasp was so tight on her arms they began to ache.

"Stop movin'!" The crew member shouted back. "Better your blood spilled than mine." His grip on her arms tighten as he grew angry with her.

All the sudden she realized she hated him. He was a coward. He stood at 5'11, just a few inches taller than her and she had figured he was only a few years older than her self, but looked twice the age due to weathered skin, drinking, and poor care. His features where dark, and always seemed unkind. During her whole stay on the ship, they had never gotten along, and she found herself unsurprised at his actions.

Ahead of her, she could see a group of about six or seven pirates attempting to tie up what was left of the crew. She counted five of them still alive, one being the captain. The rest where dead she knew, the merchant ship never had a chance. It was at that moment that Alanna, and the last remaining crew member were spotted by one of the pirates tying up the crew as she was struggling to get free. He walked over to them slowly, a grin on his face. Alanna was sure he was positively the dirtiest thing she'd ever seen.

"Well lookie 'ere..." His smile got bigger. "Seems you two've been hidin'." He withdrew his gun, "Shame on ye cowards." He brought his gun up, pointing it at the two remaining members of the crew. "What's ye name pretty boy?" he asked cocking his head at Alanna.

"Carter." She answered shortly, trying her best to control her anger.

He looked at the crew member standing behind her, "An' whats wit 'im?" He asked. "Looks like your mate has a bit of the Joneseys." He said with a giggle before pausing shortly, "Sailor what's ye name?" He asked.

There was no reply.

"What's ye name?" He repeated in a louder voice, now irritated. "Last time Sailor, what's ye name?"

Still nothing.

Obviously the pirate had enough as Alanna hear him cock his gun. In a blur of motion, and an attempt to escape, Alanna felt herself being shoved into the pirate's arms by her crew member. The pirate was only caught off guard for a split second. His arm wrapped around her neck, and whipped her around with him in the direction the crew member was running. And then, he pulled the trigger. The body fell forward as it dropped onto the deck lifeless, blood instantly soaked into the back of his shirt, spilling from the hole left right in between his shoulder blades. In all of her travels, Alanna had never seen someone shot before. She had always guessed that when you saw it, time slowed. But in this case, it didn't. In fact it happened so quickly, she was sure if she blinked she would have missed it.

The pirate laughed at the sight of the crew member's body on the floor. "Yer next!" he said pressing the gun to Alanna head. She closed her eyes waiting for the gun to go off, now the seconds ticked by slowly, her heart beating so fast it hurt. Nothing happened. _'Why?'_ she thought to herself. _'Why is nothing happening?'_

"Well what do we 'ave 'ere?" The pirate's voice was curious.

Alanna opened her eyes; she realized then that he had seen the bandages. All the sudden dread filled her. All the rules of the game changed as soon as her being a woman was discovered. She wondered of being shot would have been a better fate.

"Ey mates!" He called to the other pirates, "Look at this!" At the sound of his voice a small group looked in his direction and began to walk over. He ripped the hat from her head and her long red hair fell down past her shoulders. "We got ourselves a girl!"


	3. Condemned To Hell

**CHAPTER III:**

**CONDEMNED TO HELL**

* * *

The group of pirates closed in around her, and in the process of trying to struggle free, Alanna found she was pinned to the ground. One pirate kneeled behind her, holding her arms tightly behind her back, two more at her feet, struggling to keep her legs from kicking viciously. "Aye, she's a feisty one!" the pirate holding her arms declared.

The pirate that originally had her, now stood in front of her, "And to think, I was gonna shoot her!" He and the other pirates broke out into a roaring laughter. The group had gotten bigger by this time, and Alanna wondered if she'd ever find a way out if the horrid situation she was now in.

Another pirate now bent down in front of her, eying her for a moment. His face spoke of seeing many battles. His complexion was a deep olive color, and she thought at one time he could have been handsome but now, scars covered his greedy, weathered face. She was disgusted by the look in his eye as he grinned. "I want her first." He commented staring down at the bandages wrapped around her chest.

"I highly doubt you're capable." Alanna sneered, her stomached turned at the thought of him touching her.

Her comment angered the pirate greatly; she could see it on his face, as he frowned deeply, his eyes enraged. Without warning, the pirate brought up his hand, the back of it hit her face in a powerful sweep that left her unable to see straight for a moment. The sound of his hand upon her face caused the rest of the group to go momentarily quiet. Alanna's skin was cut open as the rings the pirate wore dragged across her face, she could feel warmth slowly dripping down her cheek and inside her mouth, and she could taste the saltiness of even more blood as the force of the blow caused her to bite down on her tongue.

"Seems you've never been taught manners, whore." The pirate now grinned at her, and she heard a few chuckles from the group.

She said nothing as she gathered her thoughts, and waited for her vision to clear. As it did, she saw the pirate still in front of her. Fury overwhelmed her, and to the surprise of everyone, she grinned then spat a mouth full of blood in his face as a reply to his comment.

The bold gesture shocked the pirates, as they stopped laughing, and silence fell upon them once more. They looked at each other with confusion, and wonderment, unknowing of how to handle this new found situation. Their gazes turned to their fellow crew member in front Alanna, as they waited for a response. It had taken a moment for the pirate to register what had just happened, as he touched his hand to the side of his nose, and looked down at the blood on his fingertips. His face flushed with anger, and Alanna knew this time, the blow she was about to receive would come more vicious than the first. She took satisfaction in his anger, and braced herself for another hit.

Alanna closed her eyes as the pirate brought his hand back, ready to swing. To her surprise, she heard the slap of skin as someone caught his hand before it made contact with her face again. "That's no way to be treatin' a lady." She heard a strong, heavy voice say. "And if ye value ye fingers ye won't be layin' another hand on her."

She opened her eyes and saw him standing behind her abuser, the pirate's hand still in his grasp. He towered over the rest of the group in sheer presence, and his build and dress made him appear much larger and taller than anyone else on the ship. He was dressed very well, much better than anyone else on deck, and one look at his hat and his coat told her he was their Captain.

"Aye, Captain." The pirate said, his eyes narrowing at Alanna, annoyed, as the captain flung his hand away.

"Off her!" He ordered his crew. Instantly, they backed away and their grasp on her ankles and arms loosen.

The Captain looked down at Alanna, "To your feet." he ordered her.

Alanna hesitated for a moment then pushed herself up off the ground. She wiped the blood from her mouth with the back of her hand then looked down at it to survey the damage. She could still taste warm, salty, blood in her mouth, and the thought of it made her dizzy.

"Where are we men?" He asked his crew impatiently.

One of the pirates stepped forward, looking a bit timid. "We've cleared the cargo hold Captain Barbossa, and that's what's left of the crew over there." He pointed to the men tied to the mast.

Alanna glanced over at them. She had completely forgotten that they were still alive. And to her dismay, one of them happened to be the ship's Captain. She'd noticed at the mention of the pirate captain's name, he had turned extremely pale, and looked very uncomfortable. This seemed curious to her, and caused her to wonder what was really happening aboard the _Saint Mary_. She could only imagine what was running through his head at this point. He was overly superstitious, and she knew he was cursing her at this very moment, as having a woman on board was the worst bad luck a captain could ask for. Not only was Alanna bad luck in the British captain's eyes, but she had also deceived him greatly, such a thing she knew, was punishable by death.

Barbossa looked around the deck taking in the damage done by his crew. "Seems ye have some cleanin' to do." He said looking over at the tied up men with a laugh, his crew chuckled behind him. He could see the captain's face was fixated on Alanna, hatred burned in his eyes.

"This is your fault, you whore. You brought this upon us. I condemn you to hell, you lair!" The captain spat, his jaw tightening with his words. Alanna said nothing, unknowing of how to respond.

Barbossa walked over to the captain and bent down in front of him, his stare was cold. "No need to be callin' names there Captain Goodwin. Ye've nobody to blame but yourself." He stood, "Watch who ye condemn to hell, never know who might be waitin' there for ya."

The captain said nothing as Barbossa turned his back and proceeded over to his crew. "Do one more sweep boys." He ordered, "Then tear her up and burn her down!" He turned his gazed to Alanna one more time, and grinned. "And Little Miss will be joining us this evening."

"I'll be damned to let her live!" Goodwin shouted. Barbossa, now angry, turned back at the sound of his voice.

Goodwin had counted on there being too much chaos for anyone to pay attention to him as he freed himself. And he was right; he had managed, and had been sitting there for some time with his hands free behind his back. He yanked a gun away from one of his fallen crew members lying on the floor, and pointed it at Alanna. His actions motivated simply of pure hatred and anger, clouding his thought process. He acted on impulse, and in doing so failed to see that Barbossa was one step ahead of him anticipating such a stunt.

Before he even had a chance to cock the gun, Barbossa had drive his cutlass into his stomach with such force, and speed that it didn't even register to Goodwin what had just happened. It was only after he felt his warm blood spilling onto his clothes, that he felt the pain. Goodwin looked down at the cutlass, and the blood, then up at Barbossa in complete shock.

Barbossa's face was emotionless, his eyes still cold. "You deserved a slower death... _Captain_." He said as Goodwin began to fade. He brought up his boot, and kicked Goodwin off the cutlass, his body falling limp to the ground. Withdrawing a cloth from inside his coat he wiped the weapon clean, returned it to his belt then tossed the cloth onto Goodwin's lifeless body.

He turned back to his crew, and Alanna who still stood in her place, shocked, looking down at the body, which was still spilling blood. "Let that be a warning to ya, no one touches the girl."

Alanna looked up at him, horrified.

"You two!" Barbossa called to two of the pirate's standing away from the rest of the group. "Take her aboard, and lock her in the cabin til I figure out what's to be done with her."

"What?" Alanna asked, feeling confused, unbelieving of her current situation. The two pirates came up beside her, each one grabbing an arm. "No! Don't!" She pleaded, trying to struggle free from their grasp.

Barbossa walked up in front of her, clearly irritated. "Missy now's not the time to be stubborn. I just did you a favor. Way I see it; you have a bit of a debt to pay now. But if you like, I can leave you on the ship with the rest of 'em to burn, it's your choice."

Alanna stopped struggling, falling silent as she knew arguing with the captain would be foolish. She dreaded being on board a pirate ship, but valued her life far too much to not to go with the captain and his crew.

Barbossa's grin was cocky as he answered. "That's what I thought." He nodded to the pirates, signaling them to take her away.

Alanna went without a fuss as they boarded the ship. She remained quiet, unable to look at the pirates holding her captive. Stepping unto the ship Alanna noticed it was much different than the merchant sloop she had been on. For one, the ship was much bigger than the _Saint Mary_, and probably the biggest difference she noticed immediately was its sails. They where black...

She had heard stories of such a ship, it's name, _The Black Pearl_. Supposedly it was sailed by cursed pirates, and the ship it's self had been buried beneath the sea and risen again on more than one occasion. She looked around the ship, noticing that the few pirates left behind on the ship looked utterly confused as to why there was a woman now onboard. These men seemed very un-cursed to her.

The pirates lead her to the cabin, shoving her in through the doors. "Welcome aboard." One chuckled, slamming the doors shut in front of her face. She sighed, hearing one pirate tell the other to stay behind, just in case she was to try anything. Alanna knew trying to escape would do no good. She was now on a ship full of pirates, and she knew she would be easily caught. She found herself unable to comprehend any of the events that had just taken place. It all seemed like a dream, and she longed to wake up. But the ache she now felt in her jaw, and the taste of blood in her mouth told her that she was very much awake.

Alanna looked around the cabin, analyzing her surrounding. It was, to her surprise, very well kept. The candles lit around the room gave it a surreal feel. Standing from the entrance point of view, there was a crimson daybed sofa to the left. Alanna guessed by the elegant look of it, that it has been looted in one of their raids. A few feet directly in front of her, lay a large wooden table with two matching wooden chairs. The table was full of the typical sailing instruments a captain would own, maps, a compass, a sexton, and rope for checking nautical miles. Alanna figured that this table was used as both a desk and a place to dine. She had to admit, it was minimal, but decorated very well, and seemed comfortable.

Even so, it was one of the last places she wanted to be. She feared being thrown to the crew, and was thankful, at least for the moment, she was somewhere safe. She figured the captain had decided to keep her for himself, at least for the time being. The fate she had put so much effort into avoiding was now upon her. No longer a person, she was a thing to be used. She tried to take comfort in just having the captain to deal with, rather than the whole crew, but it was of little use. She found herself wanting to cry, but unable to find tears. Her feet dragged as she walked over to a corner opposite the daybed and sat down. She brought her knees up to her chest for support, wrapping her arms around them, then laid her head down, awaiting whatever was to come.


	4. The Carpenter, The Doctor, & The Cook

**CHAPTER IV: **

**THE CARPENTER, THE DOCTOR, & THE COOK**

* * *

It seemed a life time before the doors to the cabin opened again. It was now just after dawn, and Alanna guessed she had been waiting there for what seemed to be hours on end. During the night, she could hear the explosions of gun powder on the _Saint Mary_ as the pirates stayed true to their word, and burned it down. She was not able to see the ship, but saw the smoke, and ash as it blew by the windows of the cabin in a mystifying haze. She knew there was nothing left of the merchant sloop, and deep down a part of her was glad she had been taken aboard the pirate ship. Leaning against the window, Alanna wondered where they could possibly be headed. She found no sleep during the night, and now felt the lack of it bearing down on her shoulders. She thought it impossible to find sleep on a ship full of pirates, she couldn't trust anyone, she was alone, and felt she had to keep an eye on everyone and every move they made.

The doors flew open and Alanna turned her gaze to the entrance, startled. She saw the captain there, a green apple held in his hand. He grinned, and she knew he'd done it just to startle her. "Didn't sleep well, Missy?" he asked walking into the room, closing the doors behind him.

Alanna didn't answer, but she kept her gaze on him as she frowned.

"You should learn to speak when yer spoken to." Barbossa raised an eyebrow, taking a seat at the table, kicking his feet up, biting into the juicy apple.

"I speak when I want to speak." She answered shortly.

"Then ye be lacking manners." He took another bite of his apple.

"None less than you." She glared, annoyed by the very sight of him.

He frowned disapprovingly at her tone as she answered. "That's no way to be speakin' ta someone who kept ya from gettin' flogged, shot, drown, and or, burnt alive." His head tilted, waiting for her to say something.

"I don't thank pirates." Alanna replied, her manner cocky. Her eyes turned away from him, and out the window, staring into nothing.

Barbossa now angry and annoyed with her treatment of him laid what was left of the apple on the table and stood. Alanna's head turned back to him, knowing she had upset him, and wondered what his next move would be. He walked over to her, "You forget your place girl." he said yanking her by the arm with such force, she was once again startled. "Remember you're on _my_ ship. Don't think it wise to be carryin' 'round such a chip on ye shoulder." His voice was firm as he spoke.

As he walked towards the doors, his strides were long and powerful. Alanna found herself stumbling over her own feet as she was dragged behind him. "What are you doing?" she asked worried. "Where are you taking me?"

Barbossa didn't reply, nor did he look back to acknowledge her. Her words rang unheard as she was completely ignored by him. He took her through the doors and into the daylight on deck. Alanna wasn't sure if she should welcome being out of the cabin or not once she saw the pirates on deck performing their various tasks. A few stopped in mid work, confused to see a woman in their captain's grasp, much less on ship. Letting go of her, she was shoved into the middle of the deck in front of him, "Don't move!" he warned as she tripped due to the force of his shove, finding herself sitting on the ground in front of him. Alanna clenched her jaw as she tried to control her annoyance, she couldn't look up at him.

"You!" The captain grabbed the closest pirate by the arm, pulling him over. "Make sure she doesn't go anywhere." He stormed off as the rest of the pirates turned their heads towards Alanna, who was still sitting on the floor. The pirate looked down at her, lost it utter confusion.

She could feel their eyes upon her but refused to look up, giving them any type of satisfaction. She saw one of them out of the corner of her eye who began to take a step towards her, but was stopped by an older man who stood next to him. This intrigued her slightly, as it seemed an odd movement. From what she could see, the one who had taken the step looked young and was almost to the point of being grotesquely skinny. He looked a fair amount taller than her and had the blackest hair she'd ever seen. Her thoughts were interrupted as a pail of water was dropped to the floor in front of her, half of the water splashing onto her face and clothes. She looked up; surging with anger to see Barbossa standing in front of her, the expression on his face taunting her.

"Gents!" He called the pirates attention to him. The few that were still working stopped at the sound of his voice, looking in the direction of their captain. A group began to form around him and Alanna, "Missy here has quite the attitude." he announced with a chuckle.

It took everything Alanna had not to explode with anger and frustration right then and there. For the first time in her life she honestly wanted to hurt someone as she found herself wanting to beat him senseless.

"So ye be thanking her for your day off because she will be cleanin' the decks!" This announcement caused the group to cheer and roar as Barbossa looked down at Alanna. "All of 'em." He said just loud enough so she could hear and threw, what she knew, was the smallest brush he could find down in front of her.

Barbossa turned back to his crew, "Below decks men, we've quite the stock of wine, rum, and beer thanks to the Saint Mary!" They once again cheered, and the crowd quickly began to move away, possessed by the thought of alcohol. As the crowd thinned out Barbossa held behind three men, ordering them to keep an eye on Alanna. She noted that they where the three men seen out of the corner of her eye, and as she overheard bits and pieces of their conversation she also noticed that the men didn't seem to mind staying behind all that much. Feelings of worry began to stir in her, as now she would be alone without any protection whatsoever, and her previous experience told her these men were extremely vicious. Alanna sighed, looking down at the brush. She picked it up, dipping it into the water and began to scrub as hard as she possibly could in aggression. She felt she was being challenged, and Alanna never backed down from a challenge. She knew he was testing her, looking for a weakness. She was determined not to let him win at this game he now engaged her to play.

Barbossa decided for some time alone before heading below decks with the rest of his crew. He walked into his cabin, removing his hat, laying it down on the table as he took a seat in the chair, folding his arms. His new captive did have quite the attitude, he was right about that and he didn't know rather to grin or frown at the thought of her feistiness. He admitted to himself that she had gotten under his skin very easily and he felt this justified her somewhat cruel punishment. He half wondered if it was perhaps a little too much, but his gut told him there was a biggest possibility that it was in fact, not enough. She needed to know where she stood on _his_ ship. And while he was willing to call his men off her, it had to be very clear that he was to be obeyed.

It was obvious she could hold her own very well, or she wouldn't have even found herself on a ship in the first place, and he wondered how she'd managed to get by for as long as she did on the _Saint Mary_ without being discovered. This hinted at her being overly cleaver, which meant having to keep a very sharp eye on her. It was this very reason he chose the men he did. They were by far the smartest of his crew and he knew he could trust them to not disobey when he ordered that no was to touch her. He knew his crew all too well, and knew just how quickly they would ravage her had they the chance, as when it came to women they truly were animals. However, they would be on land soon and his men would be allowed all the women they wanted. He hoped that this would quiet their desires, but found it unlikely. After all, they were just men.

Barbossa wondered who he needed to keep the better eye on, his clever captive or his crew of animals. Something about her intrigued him greatly, and he had a feeling she could be very useful. And with that he decided he was going to keep her around for awhile. He stood up, and grabbed is hat. Placing it on his head, he tilted it slightly and smoothed the brim to his liking. He picked up an apple and bit into it, walking out the door. Very useful indeed.

The small group of men watched Alanna intently has she scrubbed the decks with, what was to their surprise, great force and efficiency as she found herself completely ignoring them.

One leaned over to the other in a whisper, "She's got a lot of pent up anger, wouldn't you say?" he said as the other smiled at his comment.

Alanna's head shot up, shooting him a dirty look, hearing the comment. She saw now it was the dark haired man, he looked down, embarrassed and the smiled faded off the other man's face.

It was the first time she'd gotten a good look at them. And to her surprise, they were all clean shaven and well groomed much like their captain. She assumed this meant they held some type of status on the ship. The one with the short black hair was young and very Irish with some of the greenest eyes she'd ever seen. He was indeed very lanky, but oddly, it fit him. By the looks of him she guessed he was not much older than she was.

The second one, with the faded smile was an older man. She guessed him to be somewhere in his mid forties, with longer salt and pepper hair tied back in a ribbon. His eyes danced between the colors of honey and turquoise. He was but a little taller than Alanna and his build was lean. Under any other circumstances Alanna thought she would have found his smile infectiously charming, and he seemed far too pale to be on board a ship.

The third one was the oldest of the bunch, she guessed him to be in his sixties, maybe older. He too was fairly skinny but nothing about him seemed frail. His face was aged and weather, his eyes gray, but seemed faded by the sun. Quite possibly the most interesting thing she noticed about him was he had a bum leg, he stood with his weight shifted to left side as if standing on the right was too difficult. Nothing about him seemed threatening and Alanna wondered how he could possibly be a pirate.

She continued to scrub annoyed by their presence, still boiling over at the task the captain had sentenced her upon. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the pale faced man nodded to the skinny Irish man. The Irish man smiled back, and with that he began to stroll off. Alanna glanced up for a split second, just to see where he was headed, and she saw that it was below decks. No one spoke a word until the Irishman returned; in his arms he cradled four mugs of beer. The two men each took one, and then the young man bent down in front of her.

"Miss?" he offered her a mug.

She looked up at him, then at the mug wearily, "I don't want it." She declined.

"But why?" He exclaimed, his Irish accent so thick she almost wanted to smile. "It's beer!" He seemed completely baffled by her decline of the drink.

"I don't know what you've done with it." She answered, "How do I know it's not tamped?"

The pirate looked completely shocked, "I can assure you, I would never!"

She raised an eyebrow, "And a pirate's word is always trusting?"

He opened his mouth to answer, but realized he could not. She had made a valid point that would be impossible to argue with. He shrugged "More for me." He said as he stood up, both mugs in hand.

The men spent the rest of the day hovered around Alanna talking amongst them selves while she continued to work without a word spoken. She stayed concentrated on her work, head down, scrubbing just as vigorously as ever. As night fell they took shifts, watching her as she chose to work through the dark wanting to get the task done as quickly as she possibly could. The old man offered to take the first night shift as the others slept. He watched her quietly, thinking to himself she did her work much better than most of the crew onboard. He turned an empty bucket upside down and sat down on it. As he sat a lantern down next to him, watching her, he wondered if she would speak at all.

The air had cooled considerably, and a storm was still threatening to unleash it's self at any time. Alanna had always welcome rain, but now she hoped it would hold off just a bit longer as she worked. The decks were quiet as most of the men were passed out in random spots of the ship due to their heavy drinking. After a significant amount of time passed, the man decided to speak, wondering if he could get anything out of her.

He pulled a match and a pipe out of the breast pocket in his shirt, and lit the pipe. Blowing out a puff of smoke he asked, "Are you hungry?"

"No." Alanna lied not looking up or faltering from her work.

The man thought for a moment, and knew she was lying. "Do you want some?" he then asked, offering her the pipe.

This time she falter ever so slightly, as her scrubbing slowed down for the briefest second. "No." She lied again. The smell of the sweet tobacco made her ache as she wanted nothing more than to inhale a huge breath of it.

The elder smiled to himself, knowing she was lying again. He took another puff then picked up a glass bottle sitting next to him and offered it to her. "Thirsty?"

It was almost too much to bear, but she lied once more, with a simple "No."

"It's fresh water." The man continued.

Alanna finally stopped and looked up at him. "How do I know you haven't done anything to it?" She asked resignedly, also noticing his accent was American and by the sound of his voice she figured he was probably from Boston.

"I'll drink it." The man tilted his head back, pouring the water into his mouth. He swallowed, then looked down at Alanna with a smile. "See? It's good." He offered her the bottle.

She thought for a moment, her eyes switching back and forth between the man and the bottle. Finally, her thrust conquered and she took the bottle. The water flooded into her mouth and she felt instant bliss, unable to stop drinking, she was convinced she has never tasted water so good. She had almost finished the bottle when she stopped and handed it back to the man.

"I told you it was good." He smiled.

"Thank you..." She said quietly before picking up her scrub brush to continue her cleaning task.

"Not very nice of the captain to be makin' you clean like this." He commented, hoping she would continue talking to him.

"He's a bastard." She replied dipping the brush into the bucket and slamming it down in the deck as she continued to work.

"He his..." The man agreed, "But from what I been hearin' he kept you from gettin' kilt."

"Only to bring me aboard and choose to do whatever he wants with me." She scuffed.

"You could be doing something worse Miss." The older man said taking another puff of his pipe.

Alanna stopped for a moment and looked up at him. He simply sat there smoking his pipe, staring back at her. It had dawned on her that he was right. There was far worse that could be happening to her right now. The captain had called his men off her and deemed her untouchable. While cleaning the decks was a hard and daunting task, she knew a much worse fate could have been set upon her. Still it angered her, and she could not help feeling animosity towards Barbossa, nor did it change the fact that she wanted nothing do to with him or his crew.

"I can't speak for the rest of the crew Miss, as most of 'em is dogs but I can assure you, I mean you no harm, nor does Woods or Doc." The old man spoke softly, interrupting her thoughts. She looked at him, confused.

He smiled, "And I'm Cook, by the way." He offered her his hand and after a moment of hesitation she shook it.

"Alanna" She said softly.

"Pleased." His smile widen across his aged face. He let go of her hand not wanting to make her any more uncomfortable than she already was.

She pondered for a moment before speaking again, as she was still leery of him even if he offered kindness. "You bunch are the carpenter, the doctor, and cook then?"

"Yes." Cook nodded, as he put his pipe to his mouth.

The wind picked up in a slight breeze and Alanna felt herself shiver. The air was defiantly cooling and the smell of rain was even more prominent than it had been the night before. She went back to her work scrubbing away, in hopes that she would be done by the next day, while Cook sat there quietly keeping her company.


	5. YE WILL LOSE A LOT MORE THAN JUST AN EAR

**CHAPTER V:**

**YE WILL LOSE A LOT MORE THAN JUST AN EAR**

* * *

Alanna stood, looking over her work. She would have felt extreme pride had exhaustion and hunger not plagued her. It was now late afternoon and her work was almost finished. It had not rain yet, but she could tell it was very near now as it crept closer and closer during the night. Dark clouds hung low over the ship for as far as she could see. The air was still and heavy now and she knew this was the final sign.

"You!" She heard a voice call, sounding irritated. Turning in the direction of the sound, she saw the site of the pirate who had slapped her aboard the _Saint Mary_. She felt her chest tighten at the sight of him. He walked up to her holding a bowl. "Your food." He scowled.

She looked into the bowl; inside it lay a gray, lumpy type of mush. The sight of it made her sway with nausea. Unable to figure out what it was, or what was in it, she declined. "You can keep it." She told the pirate.

He frowned, "You don't eat this, you don't eat at all." He pushed the bowl towards her.

Alanna pushed the bowl back into his chest; "First of all," she said "I would rather not eat." She looked down inside the bowl again, "And second, I don't know what's in it. I can think of four bodily fluids that could possibly be in there, and I am positively sure at least one of them is an included ingredient."

Her comment made the pirate flush with anger. She convinced herself that this indeed meant that there was something extra inside the bowl; the thought sent another wave of nausea through her.

"Fine." The pirate said finally with an evil grin. "Then you'll be cleanin' up the mess." He tipped the bowl upside down onto Alanna's clothes, and then let the bowl drop to the ground. She looked down at the mess, stunned to see the gray filth upon her. She looked back up at the pirate as she felt her temper rise.

Two of her faithful watchers had been standing near by as the event unfolded. Woods began to take a step forward, but Cook put a hand in front of his chest. "She doesn't need our help son."

Woods looked over at him, confusion set upon his face. "But what if he tries somethin'?"

He seemed so young sometimes Cook thought to himself as he answered, "Then he'll have the Captain to deal with."

Neither one said any more as they kept their distance, allowing whatever was about to happen take its course.

"Good for nothing whore." The pirate sneered, closing in the space between himself and Alanna. He reached around in an attempt to grab her from the behind and pull her closer.

Alanna's reaction was so quick it left the pirate dumbfounded. Before he could even realize what was happening, she had withdrawn the cutlass from his belt and was now holding it to his neck. The blade was cool against his skin as she drove him back against the side of the ship.

"Get the Captain." Cook said coolly, keeping his eyes on Alanna and the pirate. Woods began to run off, stumbling over his own feet as he kept looking back at Alanna and the cutlass held against the pirate's throat.

He burst through the doors of the cabin, almost tripping as he stumbled in. Barbossa looked up from his maps as he sat at the table, an expression somewhere between annoyance and confusion read upon his face. "Cap'n…" he said in a breath, "We've got a situation on deck."

The pirate leaned back against the side of the ship, eyes wide, trying to get away from the blade Alanna held to his neck. "Can you give me one good reason why I should not take your life?" She questioned as her jaw clenched. The grip on the cutlass was so tight her knuckles began to turn white. The pirate found he was unable to answer. She pushed the blade farther into his neck, with just enough force to draw blood. A small whimper escaped as he leaned back in a bit of pain, trying to escape the blade. For the first time Alanna saw fear in his eyes, and suddenly as if morality had struck, she pulled the blade away. The pirate bent over gasping, one hand on his knee for support, the other held to his neck.

Alanna stepped back, a blank stare on her face. She was unable to process what had just happened, the cutlass now felt heavy in her hand as her arm dropped to her side. She felt a hand on her shoulder, but did not respond to the touch.

"Give it here, Miss." She heard a soft voice say. It was Cook, she realized. Without thinking she obliged, loosening her grip on the handle as she felt it slip out of her hand and into his. With her gaze still on the pirate, he looked up at her, blood on his hand as his wound still bled. The pirate looked as if he were about to attack, when a loud voice broke through the air.

"What in the blazes is this?" The words so powerful they cut right through the air and demanded every body's attention.

Alanna jumped as the booming voice broke into her thoughts, snapping her back into the moment. She looked up to see Barbossa standing over her and the pirate. Dread flooded through her at the site of him.

"What happened?" He snapped at the pirate, his voice was warning, telling the pirate that a quick answer was the only answer that would be allowed.

"She tried to kill me!" He exclaimed, eyebrows raised. "Cut my throat she did! And tried to push me over board!" He continued trying with all his might to get the captain to take his side against Alanna.

Alanna raised an eyebrow at him, seeing right through his act. He was going to make her look as bad as he possibly could in hopes that her offense would allow her to be tossed to the crew. She prayed the Captain could see through his lies.

"And why would Little Miss do such a thing?" His voiced had lowered now. It was the type of voice that could easily make you nervous as you were being questioned. The kind of voice that made you feel like he knew everything you were hiding, even if you had nothing to hide.

This time the pirate did not answer. For a brief moment his gaze faulted as he found himself crumbling under Barbossa's stare. Alanna wondered if this was the one thing that sealed his fate. She was almost sure the captain knew there was much more to the story, and the pirate's testimony was not so convincing. Since the pirate did not answer, Barbossa's eyes turned to Alanna, and she met his gaze with confidence. He quickly looked her over, seeing the mess on her clothes.

"Well?" He asked quickly, raising an eyebrow.

Alanna looked straight at the pirate, hostility growing inside her. "Seems your crew member here cannot keep his hands to himself." she replied to Barbossa's question coldly, all the while looking the pirate straight in his eye. She hoped it'd be enough to bring upon him some type of punishment.

"Aye?" Barbossa said slowly, his eyes shifted down towards the pirate, his gaze bearing down on the pirate's shoulders so heavily he felt as if he couldn't breath. He knew Barbossa had already taken her word over his, and feared what his punishment would be.

Barbossa turned to the crowd that had gathered. "Well men, since we've two stories here, it would be unfair to punish without honest conviction. Would anyone like to speak on our guest or dear Ben's behalf?"

The crowd was silent. Alanna felt a knot beginning to form in her throat. She was afraid one of his fellow crew members would step forward lying for the pirate she now knew as Ben, figuring the whole crew would fair well if she was thrown to them. It would be like throwing a piece of meat to a pack of dogs, she would be devoured in a matter of seconds. Just then she saw the young Irish man, Woods step forward.

"Aye, Captain." He spoke up. "She was provoked."

Ben looked up at the man he now saw as a traitor with a cold, hateful look.

Barbossa knew instantly that Woods had been telling the truth simply by the look on Ben's face. His anger rose, not taking lightly to being disobeyed. "Then it seems punishment be in order." His voice was almost a chuckle. His eyes were icy and he worn a sneer expression on his face as he looked down at Ben.

He reached down grabbing Ben by the front of his shirt, dragging the pirate towards him. Within seconds he was overcome with fear. Barbossa stepped behind him, bending over the pirate as he grabbed a handful of hair, yanking his head backwards. He withdrew a knife from inside one of the breast pockets of his coat and held it to Ben's ear.

Ben began to sob. "Please…" He started with a pitiful plead, but stopped when Barbossa tighten his grip and jerked his head back with so much force, Ben could hear the bones in his neck crack.

"Make another sound and ye will lose a lot more than just an ear." Barbossa barked.

With that, Ben grew silent. Within seconds searing pain was sent through is body as Barbossa drove the knife into his ear, cutting through the top part of the earlobe as if he were carving a piece of meat. Ben found himself howling uncontrollably as blood began to spill onto the deck. Alanna turned away, unable to watch as she began to feel dizzy. Ben found himself on the verge of fainting when the captain released him from his grip, allowing Ben to fall to the floor, holding what was left of his ear as blood poured out between his fingers. Barbossa wiped the blood from the knife on the back of Ben's shirt, and then threw the piece of flesh over the side of the ship, discarding it as if it were trash. He stood, looking over the pitiful sight hunched over on the floor in front of him.

He returned the knife to it's place then spoke. "That's the last warning I'll be givin' ye men. I expect you'll obey unless you want to end up like ol' Ben here. And one more thing men, Ben will be left ashore when we reach land. He's no longer welcome aboard."

No one spoke. The men's gazes switched from one another, to the captain, and then Ben who still sat on the floor, crying. A blanket of seriousness fell upon them at the sight of their crew member. Alanna knew from this point on, the crew would no longer be a problem to her unless Barbossa allowed for it. This was only mild comfort however, after she had seen what he'd just done to Ben. The crowd loosened up as Barbossa began to walk off. Before disappearing back into his cabin, Barbossa gave a nod to Doc who'd been standing by throughout the ordeal. The sign meant he was allowed to tend to Ben's wound. Doc sighed, knowing it would require soldering, so he went off in search of his tools and oil in order to keep the skin from sticking to metal. Little did Ben know, he was in store for a lot more pain.

Doc had long since come to retrieve Ben when Alanna found herself still standing in her spot. She looked around, unbelieving of the scene she had just witnessed. Most of the men had disappeared, to what she guessed was below decks for more drinking. A few stayed above, socializing, working the sails, and performing various other tasks. She walked back to the part of the deck that still held her bucket and scrub brush. Dropping to her hands and knees, she picked up the brush, continuing what was left of her work. And as she began to scrub, she noticed one very important thing... She did not feel any pity for Ben, nor was she troubled by what she had done. Allowing him a very brutal punishment she almost felt satisfied.

It was late evening when Doc stepped into Barbossa cabin bearing news. "Ben will recover, but I believe the wound is bound for infection." He informed.

Barbossa looked up from his table, shooting him an unconcerned glance, as if to say _'And?'._

Doc was not surprised. "One other thing Captain..." He paused, "She's finished."

This caught Barbossa attention, as he leaned back slightly in shock. "Not possible."

"Actually Captain, it's very possible." He stepped closer to the table. "She just finished. Worked through the night to get it done, and if I may say so, she did a hell of a job."

Barbossa couldn't believe it. "Huh." he grunted in amusement, leaning farther back in his chair, arms folded.

"If I may…" Doc continued. "She's not well. She's not slept since she was brought aboard, nor has she eaten. She's refused food and will only accept water from Cook. Don't let her fool you Captain, she's worn down with exhaustion and very weak."

His lips pursed as he thought for a moment. "Well then, have Cook make something Missy won't be able to refuse." Barbossa finally said in a matter of fact tone. "She'll be dining with me tonight. Bring the food, some warm water, and soap for her to wash with, then send her to me."

Doc nodded, and then excused himself, on his way to attend to his captain's orders.


	6. The Proposition Never Bargained For

**CHAPTER VI:**

**THE PROPOSITION NEVER BARGAINED FOR **

* * *

Alanna was sitting on the floor, leaned against the side of the ship when Doc found her. "Miss." he said, and she looked up at him. He noticed her eyes looked drained and he offered his hand. "The Captain requests your presence."

She nodded, and took his hand, unsure if she'd be able to heave herself up off the ground alone. He hauled her up, taking her arm in his and observed she did not put up the protest he was sure she would have on any other occasion. She was more exhausted then he originally thought. He seemed like a true gentlemen, Alanna thought, and wondered if that was really probable on such a ship.

He led her to Barbossa's quarters and opened the doors, allowing her to step through. He took one last glance at her before closing the doors, almost pitying her. He hoped the captain had taken his words into consideration and would be fair.

Alanna entered the room, her head down. It was now late evening as the sun was nearly set, and it was also, she noted, dinner time. Barbossa sat at his table, a feast laid before him. Alanna could not bring herself to look at the site before her, as it was too much to bear. The smell of the food made her stomach ache with hunger. The room was faintly lit with candles, placed about the room and on the table. It would have been a tranquil, even romantic background under different circumstances.

Barbossa rose from the table, he took his time ambling over to where Alanna stood. She refused to look up, and while it annoyed him greatly, he found it almost attractive that she was still so headstrong despite what she had just been put through. He chose to let her slide for the time being. "Help ye self." He said "And you may wash in the other room when you are done." He pointed to a door that was slightly open, candle light flickering through the crack. "I will be back shortly. Captain's business to attend to, ye understand." And with that, he left.

Alanna looked back at the door when she heard it close. "That's it?" She inquired to the empty room. It seemed too simple, too nice for a man who just cut off a crew member's ear. But alas, the smell of the food overwhelmed her thoughts. She was too hungry to resist and walked over to the table taking a seat. She sat staring at the food for a moment, wondering if it could possibly be poisoned. After thinking about it, she knew such a thing would make no sense after the events of the past couple of days.

Before her lay an assortment of cured meats, cheeses, bread, fruit, and wine. The simple sight of it made her mouth water, and she was uncertain of what to pick up first. It all looked so wonderfully delicious. She came to a decision on a piece of beef finally. Biting into it, the salty taste filled her mouth and she leaned back against the chair with a sigh of contentment. The food mixed well together, and for the first time Alanna found she was absolutely delighted. Her only disappointment came when she discovered she could not eat nearly as much as she wanted to, blaming it on being staved and overrun with tiredness.

She moved into the other room, opening the door slowly to reveal a bedroom. As she walked in, an elaborate bed lay before her. It had four posts as well as an accompanying over sized head board and a lesser foot board. The dark cherry colored wood was carved with beautiful designs and inlaid with gold. The sheets, pillows and blankets on the bed where of a crimson red which matched perfectly with the day bed in the opposite room. Alanna could tell they were made of the finest cloth and velvet, and knew they too were most likely stolen. To her left against the wall that held the door was a dresser with a gigantic rectangular mirror. It too shared the same designs as the bed carved into its wood. To her right against the wall perpendicular to the door was a small desk; various items were laid out upon it. She walked over to it, in order to inspect her findings. The first item she saw was a cream colored porcelain punch bowl that held steaming water with a cloth hung over the side for washing. Next to it was a bar of lavender soap, a brush, as well as clothes and a pair of boots. Alanna picked up the first piece of clothing, which was an off white button down shirt, it was made of heavy cloth that was soft to the touch; she held it up to her chest, inspecting the size and knew it would fit. Beneath it was a pair of breeches in a shade of dark brown, these too, she knew would fit. She then picked up the boots. They where made of soft black leather, with the tops folded down they would fall not far below the knee. She was pleased with what she had found.

She quickly glanced around the room, wondering if there could possibly be peep holes. After a moment she was satisfied and decided there were none. She began to undress, first slipping off her boots then pulling what was once her white shirt over her head. She looked at it with disgust. It was filthy, stained by the food Ben had thrown on her and the dirty water from the washing bucket. Letting it fall to the floor she looked down at her bandages that now hung in tatters. Alanna frowned at the sight of them, and was relieved to know she could finally rid herself of them. She unwrapped them from herself, and as they began to fall away it was like a breath of fresh air. Finally she removed her breeches, which had also met their sad, last day.

She dipped the soap and the cloth into the water, rubbing them together, allowing it to lather up. Placing the cloth on her skin was welcome warmth and she instantly began to feel better. After scrubbing down her body she dipped her head into the bowl, and began to wash her hair. After a moment she brought her head up, and it felt heavy due to the water that had collected in it. She rung it out then proceeded to dress herself. And while she was still very tired, she felt extremely refreshed. She picked up the brush, running it quickly through her hair before she stepped out of the room.

Alanna was startled to see Barbossa sitting, one leg causally crossed over the other, arms resting on the back of the sofa. She wondered how long he'd been sitting there. His gaze met hers briefly before his eyes began to wander.

_'She cleans up very well...'_ he thought, very pleased to himself. Now that her face was removed of the dirt that was once present, her features were much more visible and she truly was something to behold. Her skin was a shade of honey, smooth and dancing on the edge of perfection. Her cheeks naturally flushed with a shade that was comparable of roses. Her eyes were a light shade of blue with the smallest hint of green. A color merge that reminded Barbossa of the sea. Her lips where full, and but a few shades darker than her flushed cheeks. The clothes had fit her well. The shirt fell loosely onto her body, but was still tight enough to show off her womanly features. The pants where snug, reveling curves that were once hidden by her previously oversized attire. He grinned, unable to keep his eyes off the beauty that stood before him.

"Did ye get enough to eat?" He finally asked still looking her over.

Alanna nodded, uncomfortable with his wondering eyes.

Barbossa curiosity quickly got the best of him, badly wanting to obtain any information he could about this beautiful stranger now in his company. "What's yer name Missy?" He asked.

Her gaze met the floor as she answered. "Alanna Callaghan."

"Ah, Miss Callaghan." Barbossa mused. "Where are ye from?"

"Ireland." Came her answer.

"Well, that explains a lot; the hair, the temper, the name." Barbossa grinned. "Then where be ye accent I wonder?"

Alanna looked up at him now to see him waiting patiently for her answer. "Ireland is where I was born, I've traveled far too much and spent too much time near the American coasts to acquire any distinct accent, I suppose. I'd never really given it much thought. I guess I've never been in one place long enough to pick up a true native tongue."

He nodded, continuing on with his questions. "How old are you Miss Callaghan?"

"Seventeen..." She studied his face trying to figure out what he could possibly be getting at.

This answer got a small chuckle out of Barbossa, and Alanna found herself becoming offended, though she didn't know why. He cocked an eyebrow at her, "And how does such a pretty thing find herself on a merchant ship dressed as a sailor boy, and how does said pretty thing come about her money?" He asked.

"My being on that ship is nothing of importance. It was simply the most convenient move at the time. I bartered my way on. And I come about my money however I see fit." She found herself on the defense, crossing her arms over her chest; she shifted her weight to one side and waited for another question.

"How ye see fit? So yer saying yer a whore then?" His tone was cocky and accusing.

This time Alanna smiled coldly "As much as I am sure it would please you greatly Captain, I am not. I have far more useful talents than that."

"So it seems." He chuckled again. "Can ye read Missy?"

"Yes." Alanna replied.

"Can ye write?"

Alanna rolled her eyes, "Yes." She sighed.

"Ye speak any other languages?" Barbossa asked. He knew he was right about having to keep an eye on her; she was very intelligent, probably more intelligent than he had given her credit for.

"I seem to know enough to get by." Alanna found herself irritated at the questions the Captain insisted on asking.

Barbossa frowned in thought. "Seems the sea's no place for you then, shouldn't ye be sippin' tea somewhere?"

Alanna face turned to shock instantly. "Begging your pardon? But I believe I should be the judge of that." She paused, an expression of loathing on her face. "Besides, I am fairly sure you are one of very few on this ship who can read and write as well. So who are you to tell me where I belong?" Her voice was raised with irritation. "I'll tell you where I belong, anywhere but this God forsaken ship! However it suits you well Captain, it truly does." She spat.

Barbossa threw his head back and began to laugh mockingly. "Oh but you are failing to see one very important thing Missy! You ARE on this God forsaken ship rather ye belong here or not, so I suggest ye get used to it!"

Alanna growled in frustration, clenching her fists at her sides. Her face flushed with anger, as she found herself too upset to speak.

"Cat got your tongue Missy?" Barbossa smiled. "Now since ye've found yourself unable to speak, let us get a few things straight and I'll speak for you. This is _my_ ship. You are on _my _ship. Therefore ye will abide by _my_ rules and ye will do what I tell you. If ye fail to do so, I will have no mercy or pity on you. I will throw you to the crew and ye will fend for yourself, do you understand?"

Alanna could not bring herself to look at him as she nodded, knowing he had her under his thumb, she had no choice but to obey until she could find a way to escape.

"Good." The captain remarked. "I'm pleased we've gotten that out of the way. Now, we must be moving on to more important business."

Alanna looked up to see him sitting relaxed with an impious grin on his face. Suddenly things started to tumble downwards very quickly. She knew where this was headed; even an uneducated person could figure it out. "What… kind of business?" She asked dumbly, already knowing the answer.

"Ah Missy, surely you are smarted than that." His grinned widen. "Keep in mind; it's me or the crew." He raised an eyebrow waiting for her response.

She found herself wanting to run, but knew there was no where she could possibly go. Either way she was going to lose and it was now just a matter of choosing the lesser of two evils. And unfortunately he was the lesser. She closed her eyes in despair, and took a deep breath. "What is it you want?" She asked calmly, her voice quiet. Tears stung at her eyes but she refused to cry as it meant added satisfaction for him and humiliation for her.

"Come here." Barbossa ordered.

Alanna took one more deep breath, bracing herself. Slowly she took a step forward, then another, and another, in hopes time would slow for just a few more moments so she could compose herself. She felt weak. And in her mind she was. She had never given up so easily, and though she wasn't presented with much of a choice, it didn't matter. She stood before him for a moment before finally looking him in the eye.

He said nothing. His only gesture was a cocked eyebrow and a nod downwards.

'_Please let this be it…'_ Alanna prayed to herself before kneeling down in front of him on her knees. Her hands shook as she reached up to unbuckle is belt and undo his pants. She corrected this action quickly in wanting to show as little emotion as possible. She felt his hands grasp her shoulders as she began to lower her head towards his lap. Without thinking, she looked up, confused as to why he stopped her from what he obviously wanted.

"That won't be necessary Missy." He shook his head. "Ye hand will do."

It was impossible for Alanna to hide the puzzled look on her face as her gaze briefly met his. But she would gladly not argue. And while she hated the position he had forced her into she knew he was letting her off easy. For this she wanted an answer but would not dare ask. Instead she gave a simple nod and obliged to the captain's request.


	7. Bedtime Stories

**CHAPTER VII:**

**BEDTIME STORIES**

* * *

Barbossa lay in his bed unable to sleep. He had tossed and turned, trying to find rest, but it had still managed to evade him. He sighed, closing his eyes. He felt guilty. It was as simple as that; he felt guilty and he was trying to ignore it. Try as he might, it still got the best of him. He found himself once again consumed by greed; blaming himself for wanting instant gratification and using Alanna in order to acquire it. He told himself he wouldn't do it. He wouldn't use her. He wouldn't commit any sins. He was supposed to be on a path to redemption he reminded himself, and suddenly he found himself dangerously off course. Redemption was a joke in his mind. There was no such thing, he thought to himself. He had rarely felt guilt before, and now he felt as if all the guilt from the past was catching up to him; rearing its head in an ugly display that threaten to devour every part of him. Nothing before could compare to this; feeling as if he were being eaten alive by his own sins. He questioned this, wondering why suddenly he now felt this awful emotion. He cursed himself for being so pathetic and giving into temptation so easily. That was his biggest fault he knew; he could almost never resist temptation. He had once believed he had learned his lesson, but now he realized he had learned nothing at all. He also knew he was on another path to destruction that would be very hard to avoid.

Alanna had found sleep easily; too exhausted to think about the event that had just taken place. Barbossa have given her a blanket, telling her it was to keep from catching cold and told her she would be sleeping on the day bed. He had also warned her that the doors where indeed guarded, just in case she wanted to try a daring escape. She put up no protest and as soon as the candles where blown out she found rest almost immediately.

Her full bafflement didn't show itself until just before dawn. The sky was still very dark in part of the cloud cover and what she could hear, was light rain. All was quite aboard excluding the creaking and moaning of the ship. She wasn't sure why she had awoken, but she found herself suddenly full of questions. At first she wasn't certain if the night before had actually happened. She was exhausted mentally and physically, and told herself it was a possibility her mind was playing tricks on her. But she knew it wasn't true. And even more she knew she was just trying to comfort the plaguing feelings of exploitation, humiliation, resentment, and depression. She was used and could feel every bit of the word. She pulled the blanket up around her face as if to hide the embarrassment from unseen gods that were now casting a condemning eye on her.

Then she thought of Barbossa. He had been so emotionless, cold, detached. Detached was the word that trapped itself in her mind. She thought of how bitter he was and of how his eyes seemed to be glazed over with ice. Suddenly she felt a strong wave of resentment wash over her, as cold and unforgiving as the sea it's self. He had treated her as an object, not as an individual. He used her for what he wanted then tossed her aside as a child would when they no longer want to play with a broken toy. And then as if to mock her, for a split second he showed the slightest bit of compassion and offered her a blanket to keep from catching cold. Tears pricked at her eyes, and this time she did not try to stop them. This, she told herself was the only time she would allow such a thing; when she was alone and hidden from the rest of the ship.

Before long Alanna's eyes were once again heavy with weariness. She closed them, allowing herself sleep, knowing at the moment it was her only escape. _'You could be doing something worse…'_ were the last words that rang through her mind, echoing off its corners, before she was embraced in by a deep, restful slumber.

The doors to the cabin flew open with such force it awoke Alanna with a start. She had nearly lost her balance off the side of the bed but recovered quickly trying to shake off her tiredness. She rubbed her eyes in an attempt to clear her vision. Upon opening them she saw Barbossa standing in the doorway, one hand lay upon his cutlass; the other held a green apple with a few bites taken out of it.

"Well!" He said with a smirk on his face. "Look who's finally decided to join us!" He kicked the doors closed with his boot and took a step closer to the bed.

Alanna narrowed her eyes at him, throwing the blanket off in protest. "You deserve to be cursed." She spat.

Barbossa gave a hardy laugh as he pulled a chair closer to Alanna, taking a seat in front of her. He leaned forward bending down so that he was inches from her face. "Missy, you know nothing of curses." He answered quietly, his voice deep and raspy, his blue eyes flashing with intensity for just a moment. Noticing the flash in his eyes and the tone of his voice Alanna sat back in curiosity despite the situation. That's when Barbossa become aware of her current state. She had been crying he observed, guessing it had probably been during the night and suddenly he felt awful. Not allowing himself to show such emotion, he sat back quickly.

"Do ye know what time it is?" He asked, changing the subject. "It's near evenin'." He continued before Alanna could answer. "Are you hungry?"

"No." Alanna answered. She was shocked at the time that had passed.

"Ah, going to start tha' again now are we?" Barbossa put a hand to his chin, rubbing his beard in contemplation. "Well ye can have two choices then. Either I have one of the crew members personally feed you whatever it is they be eating this evenin', and don't doubt I wouldn't do such a thing Missy. Ye be smart enough to know they'd enjoy it too. Or ye dine with me."

"What makes you think I'd want to dine with you?" Alanna questioned coldly.

"Because we both know it's better than dinnin' with the crew. If ye want to argue with me about the company, fine. But ye know the food is much better, you've already seen that." The Captain had made his point. Secretly he wasn't sure if Alanna would choose him over the crew at this point. The only thing he knew working in his favor was the food at his exposal as it was indeed much better than what the crew typically ate.

"Tell me Captain," Alanna eyes were intently focused on him as she asked her question, "Do you treat all women this poorly?"

Barbossa had seemed rather amused at the question. "Women, Miss?" He chuckled. "Why you act as if you know me business! Don't think it wise to be making assumptions when in fact ye know nothing at all." He tried desperately to ignore the thoughts of temptation that were once again tugging at him from the moment he had walked back into the cabin.

"I know how you've treated me," Alanna answered, "and it's disgraceful."

"Aye. I will not disagree with ya." Barbossa nodded.

Alanna raised an eyebrow at his response.

"I've done a lot of disgraceful things, no doubt about that." He paused for a moment, thinking, and Alanna waited for him to continue. "I'm a pirate, let's not forget that. I am greedy, and I personally have a problem resisting temptation." He grinned, that signature grin of his Alanna had already come to know. "These all be curses I will never rid myself of." He confessed.

His eyes found hers for a moment, his gaze so intense, for the first time Alanna found herself wanting to look away. "You Miss, are temptation." Alanna said nothing, so he carried on. "We can make this as hard as ye please. But I will give ye my word, if you obey, no physical harm will come to you while aboard my ship. You will be given a decent place to sleep, and ye will be fed well. If you choose to disobey any of my orders you will suffer the consequences."

"Why didn't you leave me on the ship to die with the rest of the crew?" Alanna finally asked. It was a question she had been waiting to ask since she was brought aboard.

"Such a treasure shouldn't be lost to the sea, my love. Maybe I believe ye were the only one on board who was worth any savin'." Barbossa answered honestly. "Look at it this way... If I treated women as badly as ye believe, why didn't I simply let ye perish with the lot of them on the ship?"

Alanna could not think of an answer.

"Ye may accuse me of usin', but do not accuse me of mistreating something so fine. However, if a woman is man enough to cross me, then she be man enough to suffer like one too, do not forget that." Barbossa tilted his head waiting for a response.

Alanna was full of questions but unable to form any words as they seemed to fall off the tip of her tongue. She found herself lost in silence.

"Now Miss, if you wouldn't mind…" He paused, struggling with the question he was about to ask, and once again his greed prevailed. "A repeat of last evening's events would be greatly appreciated."

Alanna couldn't believe the request. She stared at him for a moment in utter disbelief. His confidence in asking was almost admirable.

"No." Alanna finally answered.

"What did ye say?" Barbossa asked, narrowing his eyes at her.

"I said no. I don't want to." She crossed her arms in front of her chest, standing her ground. He was unfair and she hastily decided in a manner some would consider childish she would not stand for it, even though she knew it could cost her.

"Ye be refusing me?" Barbossa half chuckled the question, eyebrows raised, taken aback by her sudden refusal.

"It certainly looks that way, doesn't it _Captain_?" Her answer was cocky and bold.

Barbossa glared at her for a moment in fury before answering with a grin. "Then I hope ye enjoy your stay with the crew tonight. I am sure ye will find the food to be very appetizing."

Alanna stood, "Well Captain, I do believe they will be better company than you. Now if you'll excuse me." She said on her way out the door. Now, she wondered, just how much she'd be able to get away with.

Barbossa found himself staring at the door as she walked out. The confidence in her walk was impeccable; it was an extremely bold move, he had to admit. And despite his frustration, he smiled. He would let her go, knowing at some point she would return.

It was late evening when Alanna found herself roaming on deck. She realized she was in great need of some fresh air and it was a blessing to be out of the cabin. Luckily Barbossa allowed her such freedom, calling off his guards. She supposed it was because there was no where for her to escape, nor was concealing herself an option as she guessed he knew every hiding spot possible on the ship. The rain had momentarily stopped and the breeze outside felt damp and cool. She heard a few of the pirates talking in regards to a bigger storm moving in and reaching land before it hit. She wondered where they would make land fall and hoped it would give her an opportunity to escape.

After wondering about for awhile she found Doc near the helm, resting against the side of the ship, gazing down at the water. He seemed so deep in thought she wondered if she should disturb him. She frowned, and then decided she would interrupt, wanting a bit of conversation to keep her mind off the matters at hand.

Her footsteps where quiet but Doc had still managed to notice her presence and glanced up at her as she drew near. "Miss Callaghan," he smiled warmly "to what do I owe the pleasure?"

She couldn't help but smile back, "I needed some fresh air." She answered stepping up beside him.

"Ah, fresh air is always good for the soul. You are looking much better, how do you feel?" He'd noticed she seemed rested, the color had returned to her face, and she also seemed to have her strength back.

Alanna thought for a moment, not sure how to answer. She was being held captive on a pirate ship, she had been violated by the Captain, and now the doctor was asking her how she felt with what she could tell, was genuine concern. "Fine." She decided to answer.

"Good." Doc took a moment to look at her before continuing. "Is the Captain treating you well?" His tone was light, but she could tell he honestly wanted to know.

She looked up at the cloud covered sky, once again caught between answers. "Yes." Alanna responded, realizing she didn't feel like sharing the events that had recently taken place.

Doc couldn't distinguish if her answer was true or false so he did not push the subject. "Food's much better isn't it?" He laughed quietly.

Alanna smiled once more, "Yes, it is." She noticed now she enjoyed his company and was glad he was willing to converse with her. "What's your real name Doc?" She asked out of curiosity.

Doc glanced around the ship to make sure no one was within earshot before he spoke. "James." He answered when he was sure no one else was around, grinning boyishly.

"That's a fine name." Alanna answered.

"Yes, but please keep it between us, for I am afraid it will ruin my image." He said, putting a hand to his chest with raised eyebrows.

Alanna couldn't help but laugh. "Your secret is safe with me." She bit her lip in thought now, suddenly thinking of Barbossa's answer to being cursed, remembering the look in his eyes perfectly. She wondered if the stories of a curse were true and thought maybe Doc would be able to provide some answers. "How do you know the Captain?" She asked first, under the impression that Doc was trusted greatly by him. She assumed he must have been more than just a crew member.

"We used to sail together years ago. I've known him a very long time." He responded to the question.

"You and he seem different from the rest on board." She observed.

"How is that?" Doc asked, wondering what she meant.

"You carry yourselves differently, I suppose. And you both are much cleaner than everyone else, I must note. Why is that? Were you once of a higher status?" Alanna wondered.

"What we once were Miss no longer matters." Doc sighed. "And unfortunately what we are now does."

She frowned at the answer, but continued on with her questions.

"Are the stories they speak of true?" Alanna asked, figuring it best to get straight to the subject.

"What stories?" Doc asked cocking his head.

"Of the curse." Alanna answered.

Doc looked at her surprised, "What curse?" He asked slowly.

"I don't know… that's why I am asking you." Alanna pushed on.

"Why would you ask such a thing?" Doc inquired.

"It's something the Captain said." She paused to look him in the eye. "Please tell me." She implored.

Doc turned back to the side of the ship, resting his hands over the edge with a sigh. He didn't want to lie to her, but at the same time he wasn't sure how to tell her the truth. "I'm sure you've heard a lot of stories." He said finally. "All of which are either untrue or don't tell the whole truth. But yes, there was a curse."

Alanna moved closer, impatiently wanting to hear more.

"I was not part of the crew when it happened, but I was the first Hector came to see after he learned of being under the cursed. At that point, I don't believe I have ever seen a man so pitiful, nor will I ever again. Men on their death bed were less pitiful than he." Doc let out a long sighed, and then continued. "At first, physically he looked fine, possibly a little tired and I'd noticed his eyes weren't nearly has bright as they usually seemed; slowly it got worse. I was unable to comprehend what he'd been rambling on about; I'd simply figured the sea had finally driven him mad. He talked about cursed gold, an unknown island, of being stuck in some type of purgatory, being unable to feel as he once did; of being unable to quiet hunger, unable to quench thirst, unable to enjoy the company of any woman he spent the night with. He seemed so utterly hopeless…" Doc paused, "And I didn't believe a word of it." He said quietly, guilt hanging on his last words.

"It wasn't until that evening under the moonlight, that I in fact saw what he was speaking of, and even then I was sure my eyes had deceived me. I tell you honestly Miss, I have never seen such a retched corpse. He looked as if he should be dead and long since buried, but there he stood before me, as real as I stood there myself. He had called upon me in hopes that I could work a miracle I suppose. And after taking me aboard to see the rest of his crew, I'd seen they had befallen the same fate. It was truly unbelievable. The great Captain Barbossa had finally found himself cheated."

Alanna stood, gapping at Doc as he told the story.

"It is bed time stories for most… but for me, it was utter reality. I should have been cursed a long with the rest of them..." Doc trailed off for a moment lost in thought. "But please… I've told you enough." He said.

The sadness in his eyes was unmistakable and Alanna suddenly felt at fault for pushing the subject. She nodded slowly, letting the story fall into the crashing waves of the sea.

"So, why are you really out and about Miss Callaghan?" Doc grinned sweetly, in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Alanna sighed, "I am supposed to be sleeping with the crew tonight. Captain doesn't take well to refusal it seems."

"Rubbish!" Doc exclaimed. "You won't be sleeping with the crew; I would never allow such a thing."

"And you have a say in the matter?" Alanna inquired.

"Of course I do!" He smiled. "I have a say if the Captain doesn't know. You may have my quarters; they are separate from the rest of the crew's dwellings… I insist."

"Doc, I don't want you getting into trouble on account of me." Alanna confessed. The offer was kind, but accepting seemed unwise.

"No trouble will be had. I swear upon my honor." Doc persisted.

Alanna smirked at his determination. "All right…" She gave in, believing his quarters were probably the safest place she could rest at the moment.

"Good! If possible, wait till later this evening when the rest of the crew is asleep, it will be easier to get below decks then without being seen." Doc told her, making sure she understood. Alanna nodded, so he continued. "Once you get down the stairs, it's but a few paces to your right."

"You really don't have to…" Alanna was cut sort as Doc interrupted.

"I truly do insist. My finding another place to sleep tonight will not be a problem. Now if you will pardon me, I must be going." He brought her hand up to his lips, kissing it softly then bowed, causing a wide smile to spread across her face. "Good night Miss Callaghan." He said with a smile before excusing himself.

"Good night!" She called after him as he walked off.

Alanna stood upon the cold decks thinking about the conversation just shared between her and Doc. The cruse was true, or so he said. It seemed far beyond anything that could possibly be real, yet she was greatly intrigued by the story. Doc did not seem to be lying, however it was still terribly hard to believe. She wanted desperately to know more. And for such answers, she decided she would go straight to the source.

She opened the doors to the cabin, walking in as if it were her own. Barbossa looked up from his table, surprised at the bold entrance. "He told me." She declared in a matter of fact tone.

"He told you _what_?" He snapped in a tone of annoyance, unknowing of what she was speaking about.

Alanna frowned at his tone of voice, but ignored it as she continued. "Doc told me about the curse." She said stepping closer to the table. "Is it true? You were cursed? The stories of the ship, everything… its true? You were really…" She threw up her hands with raised eyebrows in a gesture.

Barbossa sat back in his chair studying her. He was surprised Doc had said anything to her about it, and even more surprised she was so insistent on now asking questions. Her demeanor had changed slightly, he noticed. Curiosity had gotten the best of her. At that moment she no longer seemed guarded or resentful; simply inquisitive. Lying would be useless at this point, so he decided to answer with the truth. "Yes." He said sharply.

Alanna kept her gaze on Barbossa as she took at seat across from him at the table. Placing her elbows on the surface, she leaned forward resting her head in her hands for support. "What was it like?" she asked, her blue-green eyes intense with interest.

Barbossa thought for a moment before answering, reluctantly reveling in the beauty of her eyes. "Worse than hell it's self." He said looking her in the eye.

"How long where you under the curse?" Alanna asked, while biting her lip.

Barbossa's look was disapproving as he responded, "Now Miss Callaghan, why should I be answering ye questions? Shouldn't ye be making yourself comfortable with the crew about now?" He reminded her.

Alanna sat back with a growl of frustration knowing Barbossa had made a point. He grinned that grin belonging to solely him, and this only angered her more. "Fine!" She got up from the chair and began to storm off.

"Fer far too long..." He answered quietly just as she was about to open the door.

She turned back, noticing for the first time a hint of sadness in his voice. Alanna said nothing more, only nodded as she turned back to the door, letting herself out into the dampness of the night.


	8. Cold Waters

**CHAPTER VIII:**

**COLD WATERS**

* * *

Alanna flopped down on the bed with a long sigh; she couldn't figure any of it out. She found herself confused and overwhelmed with so many different emotions. Barbossa had been extremely hard to figure out. He rarely showed any type of feeling whatsoever. However, when he did, it was usually one of a harsh nature. She despised him. He was cruel, he was unkind, he was rude, he was on the verge of being sadistic, but he was also witty, oddly charming, and suddenly he was strangely attractive. She had finally figured out he and Doc were noblemen at one time. It was a story of once being grand gentlemen, brought into the allure of piracy. Barbossa eventually found himself cursed, then named one of the greatest, fiercest, pirate captains of the sea. Doc found himself turning away from the riches and stable life of being a doctor on land, to being one at sea on a dirty pirate ship. Now both men, if caught, would surely be hung. In all, they had both given up, what she guessed, could have been great lives for… this, piracy. She shook the thoughts from her head, scolding herself for being romanticized by such a story. To her surprise, the bed was fairly comfortable and Alanna soon found herself drifting into sleep, though her mind was still reeling with thoughts she wished she could ignore. She finally closed her eyes, anxiously awaiting rest and within minutes, it found her.

Barbossa found himself sitting at the table when Jacob let himself into the cabin. He looked up from his maps, confused to see the presence enter the room. He squinted, wanting to be sure his eyes were not deceiving him._ "Whata ye doin' here?" _He asked; his voice bottomless and horsed with surprise.

"_I believe you've forgotten what your orders are, Captain. We don't take lightly to such matters." _Jacob said walking into the room.

"_Ye know better than that."_ Barbossa said, putting his pen down as he learned back in his chair.

"_I'm not so sure Captain…" _Jacob mused._ "I'm afraid time is running a bit short."_

"_Now ye never said anything about time Jacob." _Barbossa responded straighten up in his seat, now obviously very tense.

"_Surely you must know time is of the essence. Is something distracting you?" _Jacob asked.

"_Why would you think such ah thing dear boy?" _Barbossa asked coolly. Surely Jacob had no way of knowing such things, he thought to himself.

Barbossa watched him closely as Jacob leaned in, stealing a bright green apple from the table. He studied it closely, turning it over in his hand before tossing it into the air a couple of times, catching it as it came back down.

"_Having a bit of a problem with temptation are we now, Captain?"_ Jacob asked with a grin has he bit into the juicy apple, chewing with a smile.

Surprisingly, Barbossa was unable to speak as he found himself merely staring the man before him. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know if there was anything he could say. His actions were inexcusable, that he knew very well. He had made a few mistakes with women along the way, but despite what many believed, he had never forced a woman into such a position before. Throughout his years he'd found himself with many women, many of them whores, yet he had always done his best to respect them. He had a knack for getting what he wanted without force when it came to them and he definitely made use of it. He rarely found himself met with any resistance nor had he ever had to threaten a woman in order to get what he wanted. Alanna was right, he did deserve to be cursed he thought in guilt and hoped no emotions of regret shown on his face.

Jacob frowned deeply._ "Watch yourself Captain. Or you will find there are great consequences for your actions."_

Barbossa's eyes opened, and he found himself unable to see at first. After a moment in the darkness, he adjusted to the familiar surroundings of his bedroom. It was a dream and he had woken startled, in a cold sweat.

He rose from the bed, slipping into his boots, grabbing his hat and coat off the back of a chair. Letting himself out of the bedroom he walked over to his table; placing his hands upon it, he learned forward closing his eyes with a sigh. Upon opening them again he saw the sight of his unfinished wine bottle, and reached for it, wanting comfort. Barbossa took a heavy swig hoping to clam his nerves. The sweet liquid was soothing as it flooded his mouth but did nothing for his distress. This was something that would need more than just a little wine. He decided this was a situation only a good friend could help with. Upon making the decision, Barbossa quickly lit a lantern and made for the door.

As he walked out of the cabin he was met with cold, moist air. Rain was falling very lightly now and he stopped on deck for a moment as the ship swayed to take in the atmosphere before him. The air was salty as he inhaled deeply, and it offered him a comfort the wine could not provide. He belonged here, he always had. This was his life and imagining it any other way was unthinkable. He lingered in the cold for a bit longer then headed below decks as the dream rose in his mind once more.

He knew Doc would be asleep by now, but had no qualms on waking him. "Doc, ye need be awake, I've something ta ask ya." He said walking into the dwelling. There was no answer, so he walked over to the bed and reached down to grab an arm and shake him awake, but upon touching the arm he knew instantly it did not belong to Doc as he now saw glossy red hair in the light that burned from the lantern. Alanna grumbled something incoherently, and stirred briefly, turning over to face Barbossa then continued to sleep. He was in complete shock finding her there, and though she was utterly beautiful as she slept it was hard for him to suppress a growl of anger. He put the lantern on the desk and bent down so that he was but inches from her ear. "When I said stayin' with the crew Miss, I meant the crew, not Doc's quarters." He said in a tone that immediately awoke her as he pulled away.

She looked up at him in disbelief, now wide awake. Her first thought was that of Doc, and the trouble he could now be in. She knew what the situation looked like, and also knew such a situation was against the code and punishable by death on most pirate ships.

"He only offered me his bed…" She uttered in complete fear, more for Doc than herself.

Barbossa scowled, then took the lantern in hand and turned, walking out of the room. Alanna sat there, heart pounding with dread. She was sure he was going to look for Doc. Her stomach turned at the thought of what he could possibly do to him, and it'd be all her fault. She bolted off the bed, franticly wanting to catch up with Barbossa. It was but seconds before she found him on deck heading towards his cabin.

"What are you going to do?" She asked, out of breath as she grabbed him by the arm of his coat.

He whirled around to face her, anger set deep into his features. "Why ye so concerned Missy?" He barked.

"Because!" She cried. "He didn't do anything!"

He rolled his eyes then turned around, continuing to walk towards his cabin.

She pulled at his arm once again, harder this time. "Why won't you listen to me?" She asked finding herself on the verge of tears.

Barbossa turned around once more, this time grabbing her by the arm in a strong grip. "If ye were anyone else Miss, I'd be much inclined to raise ah hand to ya." He growled deeply.

"Fine, do what ever you want! Just don't do anything to Doc! Please don't hurt him…" She pleaded; cursing herself for allowing Doc to convince her taking his quarters would cause no trouble.

Barbossa leaned back, taking a good look at her face. It was obvious while her stay onboard thus far had been short, she had developed feelings for Doc and all the sudden he felt a pang of jealousy.

"What makes you think he be the only one who deserves punishin'?" He inquired.

Alanna's eyes widened, she was not expecting such a question. "Well Captain, I suppose if you find him guilty I should be found guilty as well." She finally said. "But as far as you know, I could have forced him into whatever you believe happened, therefore I am to be found most guilty of all." Alanna paused, "And if I remember right, it's unfair to punish without honest conviction." She said repeating Barbossa's own words. "You've no proof of anything."

Barbossa let go of her arm and stood there in front of her for a moment, unsure of what to say next. He knew nothing had happened; Doc had always been too much of a gentleman, and being onboard a pirate ship had never changed that. But none the less, she'd made a point; he didn't have any proof, not that such a thing would really matter if he truly wanted to convict, but still the point was valid. Her willingness to accept punishment for something that never took place was admirable. Even so Barbossa could not keep himself from being angry, as her annoying defiance greatly outweighed anything about her he could considered admirable.

"Ive no idea what I am going to do with ye." He said with a concluding sigh. And with that, he turned to walk away.

Alanna stood there, and watched as he continued on his way to the cabin. She had no idea how Doc came to be friends with such a man that seemed his exact opposite. And yet, she could tell Doc was still very fond of him. She wondered if Barbossa had once truly been different. She wondered what he'd been like before he was cursed. He had truly been cursed, and for that she felt terrible but could not pity him; however she did find such a thing to be very exciting and was terribly frustrated with her mixed emotions.

She could not help but continue to walk after him. "What is that supposed to mean?" She Alanna asked, trailing behind him.

Barbossa rolled his eyes in frustration, "Why do ya _insist_ on asking so many questions?"

"I may ask as many questions as I want." Alanna scuffed.

With the comment Barbossa turned around quickly, facing her once more as she almost ran into him, surprised at his abrupt stop. "Oh, is that so? I suppose ye would like to take the wheel of me ship too, and perhaps even the coat or the hat? Is there anything else ye would like Miss, since you are obviously in charge now?" He asked looking down at her with words so sarcastic Alanna was stunned.

She didn't know what to say, but suddenly she felt a smile begin to creep across her face; she bit her lip, trying to suppress it.

Barbossa glared at the expression on her face. "I suggest ye leave me sight before ya find yourself being thrown overboard, as I suddenly feel much inclined to do so."

"Now Captain, would you really do such a thing?" Alanna inquired, her smile now showing as she could not contain it. She strongly believed he wouldn't do it, and the thought of standing up to him was exhilarating. "You've threatened me quite a bit, thus far, but I've yet to see you follow through."

She was teasing him, Barbossa knew; playing a game and toying with him. He wasn't sure what caused her sudden burst of braveness; part of him found it fascinating, but it angered him more than anything else.

"Well Miss Callaghan perhaps ye be right." He chuckled with a grin.

Then without warning he grabbed her by the back of the head, taking a handful of Alanna's hair in a commanding grip that made her winch in pain. The excruciating pull on her hair forced her to walk with him towards the side of the ship. He pushed her against it, pressing his body against hers as he stood behind her, obligating her to lean over the edge. He pushed her head down, making sure she got a good look at the water churning below.

"Looks rather cold, don't it? I can assure ye wouldn't be able to swim these waters." He said leaning into her ear. He let go of the lantern allowing it to fall into the water below. "It's a bit of a way down too."

Removing his hand from her head he placed it on the railing, caging her in between his authoritative arms. Alanna struggled against him to no avail, as he greatly overpowered her. Her pulse quickened; beating so fast it made her head ache. She wasn't sure if the reaction was caused by the crashing waves below her or the feel of his sturdy arms on either side of her and dominating body pressed against her much smaller frame. She realized her mistake; she had been overconfident and perhaps too bold. She had always been one to get away with almost anything throughout her life; now she'd run head on into a very thick brick wall; and it hurt. Her overzealousness had finally cost her. Now she stood with only a few inches of wood between her and the ocean below.

"Not so swaggering now are we Miss Callaghan?" Barbossa asked with a deep laugh of amusement.

She stopped struggling and huffed in frustration. Alanna knew she was just wasting energy. She could fight as much as she wanted, but he wasn't going to budge.

"There be anything else ye would like to say, Miss, while we're standing here enjoyin' the lovely view?" It wasn't a question; more of a warning as they stood there in the dark.

This time Alanna said nothing.

"Ah… I didn't think so." Barbossa said removing his arms and stepping back. This allowed her to move and she turned to face him. "Ya know runnin' around in ye bare feet will catch ya cold don't ye?" He said crossing his arms as he quickly glanced down at her feet.

Alanna looked down, surprised. She hadn't realized she'd been bare foot. All of a sudden her feet felt extremely wet and cold; she shivered. Her gaze turned upwards in a state of shock. With just enough light admitting from the cabin she could make out the look on Barbossa face. It seemed he was waiting for a response. She found herself overcome with resentment as he had moved away, and growled at herself.

He shook his head and grabbed her by the arm. "Come." He said. He didn't allow her time to answer and pulled her behind him.

_N/A: I know it's been awhile! I've gotten quite a few messages from people bitching me out and saying I needed to update. So here it is! Sorry it took so long but college is really kicking my ass right now. And a very BIG THANK YOU to DemonicSymphony for all the help!!! You are awesome. R&R because it makes me happy._


	9. So I Heard

**CHAPTER IX:**

**SO I HEARD**

* * *

Barbossa led her into the cabin and pulled out a chair from the table. "Sit." He commanded, pushing her down into the seat. He grabbed the blanket from the day bed and tossed it at her. "Don't ye dare move." He warned; the look in his eye was fierce and she obliged thinking of the cold waters whipping in the ocean.

He exited the cabin, leaving her there alone with her thoughts and the few candles that were still burning on the table. She rubbed the back of her head as it still ached; Alanna now felt tremendously foolish. Standing up to a pirate captain was indeed not the smartest idea. She had been too confident and pushed him greatly; far more than ought to have been allowed. Alanna knew she honestly should have been thrown overboard for such actions and now considered herself very lucky. She would have to cool it if she wanted to stay dry and out of harms way.

Shortly after his leave Alanna turned at the sound of the doors opening and saw Barbossa stride in. He held a mug and what looked to be a nightgown. He sat the mug on the table, which held a steaming liquid then handed her the cream-colored gown.

"Other room." He said, meaning for her to change out of her clothes that were now damp with rain water.

Alanna said nothing as she got up and let herself into the bedroom.

Barbossa heaved a sigh and removed his coat as it had been cold and moist with the rains. Taking a seat he laid his hat upon the table and waited for her to return. He was beginning to wonder if she was more trouble than she was worth, and if keeping her around was still as wise a decision he once thought it was.

'_Ye should know better Hector, all women are trouble.'_ He reflected.

He could threaten her all he wanted but as vindictive as he was, he would never be so cruel as to throw her overboard in the middle of the sea. At lest when he had done it to Elizabeth, he'd given her Jack as well. Not that Barbossa considered him to be much help but at the very least they were close to land.

Alanna quietly let herself out of the room and walked over to the table. The nightgown had not been the right size, and she found the extreme bagginess uncomfortable, however it was warm and that was what matter to her at the moment. She took her seat across from him and wrapped the blanket around her shoulders as she brought her knees to her chest for added warmth. Upon picking up the mug and taking a sip she realized the mysterious liquid was in fact spiced black tea. She hated to admit it, but it was a kind gesture. _'It's utterly impossible for this man to be any more confusing.'_ She thought.

"Thank you…" She mumbled quietly.

Barbossa nodded in acknowledgment. "Yer a real thorn in me side I hope ya know; more trouble than ye be worth." He said. "And I am now going to ask you, please do not drive me ta do something I don' want to do. You've done it once, do not do it again."

"You are holding me captive on a pirate ship, what do you expect from me?" Alanna asked sarcastically; instantly regretting her tone.

Barbossa frowned. "Fer being a rouge ye sure come off as a spoiled little thing don' ya? I've admitted to my wrong doings, but please define captive. Are you stuck in a prison cell Missy? Have your accommodations and food not been up to par? Do ye not roam about the decks freely? Have I not spared ya from my men? My experiences tell me ye be far from being held captive. Truth is Missy, I saved ye life and you've not so much as thanked me for it."

Alanna once again felt very foolish. He had just made her capture seem like she was sitting on a throne of luxury. "I'm sorry…" she whispered so low, Barbossa could barely hear.

He sighed. "Ye just be too stubborn for yer own good." He was more speaking of himself than of her as he reached for his wine bottle, pouring himself a glass before he kicked up his feet, resting them on the table as he leaned back in his chair. He took a sip then asked, "Ye ever killed a man Missy?" Barbossa already knew the answer to the question; her eyes were too pure to be of those that have taken another life. But still he wanted to hear her say it.

Alanna looked up, surprised at the question. "No."

"Then how is it you've gotten by for so long on the seas?" He asked.

"I just do." was her answer.

Barbossa sighed before continuing. "Goodwin was fair to ya aboard the _Saint Mary_?"

"He was fine, yes." Alanna took another sip of her tea. "I made a point to stay out of the way and keep to myself; he was very superstitious. Had he found out I was a woman, I can't imagine what would have been done to me."

Barbossa nodded taking another sip of wine as Alanna continued. "What did you say to him before he died?" She asked, as she had been unable to make out his words that night on deck.

He cocked his head at the question; thinking for a moment. "I told 'im he deserved a slower death." He responded.

"Why did you kill him?" Was the next question she asked.

"He's a man without a place in this world. Consider yeself lucky not to have witnessed the true Captain Goodwin. He deserved to die just like the ones he killed. Trust me Missy, what ye've seen aboard here is nothing compared to the things I've seen that man and many other men do." Eying the bottle of wine Barbossa seemed lost in thought.

Alanna remained quiet, unable to think of a reply. It was obvious Goodwin and Barbossa had dealings in the past, and she distinctly felt Goodwin's death was brought upon by some personal vendetta of long-ago. She clearly remembered how Goodwin's body tumbled to the floor heavier than a bag of bricks after the cutlass had been withdrawn. It was a site Alanna knew she would never forget.

"Have you ever heard what it sounds like when a man has his thumbs bound, and his bones finally give way? Or seen how pitiful a man looks after he's been beaten and hung from the mast pleading for a death that will not come? Be thankful ye've never been witness to such things and much worse Miss Callaghan."

Alanna noticed the lost and almost sorrowful expression held upon his face and wondered just how much more the Captain had seen.

He suddenly ended the conversation there. "We'll be reaching land by tomorrow evenin' miss, and I want to make it very clear you are to stay with me." His tone was not one of threat, but of warning. He stood, making a gesture towards the day bed before he left the room. Alanna glanced towards it and wondered just what type of land tomorrow would bring.

She woke to the faint sound of voices outside the cabin doors. Instantly, she recognized them as Doc and Barbossa. Quietly she removed herself from the day bed and crept closer to the doors, hoping to get a listen.

"Are you sure he's going to be there?" Doc asked.

"Don't question me James, of course I know." Barbossa growled back. "We'll plunder them dry, I will not leave without the contents of that ship."

"And how do you plan on doing this without attracting attention? Neither one of you are very quiet men. He's not going to be happy to see you, especially after he finds out you plan to take all the cargo on his ship." Doc's sounded irritated Alanna noted and was surprised.

"Luckily for him it's all cargo he can get back. I'll be in me cabin if there be anything else you'd like address James." At the sound of Barbossa's words Alanna moved away from the door and took a few steps forward just as Barbossa entered the room, walking right into him.

"Sorry." She grumbled. "I was just on my way to get some air." She hoped he hadn't realized she'd been spying on his conversation.

"Good mornin' to you too Miss." He moved, allowing her to slide by.

"Would you care to tell me just where it is we are going?" She inquired.

"Oh, you'll be seein' soon enough, don't ye worry yer pretty little head about tha'." Barbossa smirked.

Alanna rolled her eyes, "Impossible."

Once outside she let out a sigh of relief. Catching sight of Doc, Alanna was thankful to see he appeared unharmed. "I found myself in a bit of… trouble last night." She said as she walked up to him.

Doc chuckled as he turned to greet her. "So I heard."

"Did I cause you any trouble Doc?" Alanna asked with a frown.

"Of course not, I told you it wouldn't be any trouble my dear." Doc answered, his boyish charm already getting the best of Alanna. "The Captain is just being the Captain. Do not fret. We will be making land fall before sundown, and it looks like you will be joining us for a while longer."

"So I heard." Alanna rolled her eyes as she sat down against the side of the ship.

Doc laughed, bending down in front of her with a smile. "Don't worry. Good news is Captain will be in a much better mood if things go well this evening."

"And if they don't?" Alanna wondered aloud.

"Pirates try their best not to think that way." Doc said before standing. "And now if you don't mind, I must be getting back to check on ol' Ben."

"If you see him, tell him I send my warmest regards." Alanna called after him. She heard a faint laugh from Doc before he disappeared and smiled to herself. At that moment she felt a wave of excitement wash over her, eager to see where it was the pirate ship would next be leading her.

_N/A - SO! I finally decided to add another chapter, boy it's been awhile. Also made a few very, very, very, small changes to other chapters. I am shocked at the PM's I have been sent asking for an update... I thank you all! So here ya are, and I'll try to be quicker with the next one. ;) I've also decided to try my hand at some Barbossabeth, so feel free to check it out babes! TTFN!_

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